


Crystal Airplanes.

by albumfivetracknine



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Airplane, Alcohol, Kinda minor but kinda major character death, M/M, My First AO3 Post, harry is kind, larry stylinson - Freeform, liam is a good person as always, louis is sweet, mention of sexual things, niall is kinda a douche, slight zouis to begin with, well zayn, zayn is
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-07
Updated: 2016-02-07
Packaged: 2018-05-18 19:04:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5939794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/albumfivetracknine/pseuds/albumfivetracknine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was perfect. Louis was going to marry the love of his life, Zayn. Or, at least he was until his life fell apart within a few hours one morning. But somehow, the comfort coming from someone he met on a 10 hour plane ride was all he needed, even if he didn't know it himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crystal Airplanes.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first AO3 fanfiction. I just want to say that the way the characters are portrayed in this, are not that way that I think of them as. I love them all, and I know this kind of thing wouldn't happen. It's purely fiction. Also, let me know what you think of it in the comments. Apart from that, here we go. My first fanfiction here.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was perfect. Louis was going to marry the love of his life, Zayn. Or, at least he was until his life fell apart within a few hours one morning. But somehow, the comfort coming from someone he met on a 10 hour plane ride was all he needed, even if he didn't know it himself.

Louis William Tomlinson could not sleep. 

He just simply couldn't. Maybe it was the excitement, or the nerves, but either way he couldn't sleep.

You see, tomorrow (Well, more likely today, since it is 2:13am) is the day Louis catches his flight to London to surprise his fiancé. His fiancé meaning his husband-to-be. And 'to-be' meaning in a week 'to be.' It was all very exciting for Louis.

Soon, he'll be with his sweet Zayn. They had been together since high school. Surprisingly, many people were supportive of them both. They even got '4th hottest couple' in the yearbook in senior year. 

Not many people would have thought Louis and Zayn would end up together, but they did. And they were both so glad.

***

Louis jumped out of bed, he couldn't contain his excitement. 

He unplugged his phone from the charger, looking at the background of Zayn and him, before quickly checking the time.

"Okay, it's almost 10am. I need to be at the airport by 4pm." Louis thought out loud. 

Louis liked to be organised. Not extremely organised, but enough so his plans can be faultless. Well, okay, maybe a little on the extreme side. 

Louis took a quick shower, lathering himself in a new vanilla scented Lynx body wash. He wondered what Zayn will say, when Louis touches down in London and around an hour later will see and hug his fiancé, telling him how much he missed him and Zayn returning the common feeling. 

It's like this a lot, hence the common-ness of it all. Zayn works as a professional artist, often going to various places, thus needing to leave Louis. Sometimes he only leaves for a few days, to somewhere that's not too far away, but this time it's for 3 weeks, and in London. Louis and Zayn live mainly in Los Angeles, you see. Although, Zayn does tend to spend a lot of time in London because of his job, so he sort of lives there a lot too. 

They were both raised in Doncaster in England, but shortly after graduating high school, they traveled the world together. When they came back, Zayn got a job as a professional artist, and Louis got a job as the manager of a Yves Saint Laurent store in downtown L.A.

You could say life is good for both Louis and Zayn. Apart from the occasional long distance, and full on schedule, it was like nothing could go wrong.

Louis hopped out of the shower, grabbing the light blue towel off the heated towel rail and wrapped it around himself. 

He padded to his and Zayn's bedroom, picking out a white t-shirt and black skinny jeans from the oak white dresser. He grabbed a grey sweatshirt with "Brooklyn Circus" written on it to throw over the top, as it was a little bit cold. 

After 10 minutes, Louis had his creamy brown hair dry and styled into a fringe. He had packed his things last night so he wouldn't need to spend anytime packing them today. 

He should probably get going soon, considering how L.A traffic is. So he slipped into his black Vans, grabbing both his suitcase and carry on backpack, after he had double checked that everything was okay and that the house wouldn't burn down while he was away. Everything seemed to be in order, so Louis grabbed his keys and stepped out of the house. 

He slid the silver key into the keyhole in the grey door, turning it so it made a little 'click' noise before removing the key and making sure it was locked. He did the same to his black car, putting the bags in the passenger seat and sitting himself in the driver's seat. 

Louis turned on the radio and instantly the sound of Patrick Stump singing was heard. He tapped along to the beat of 'Centuries' on the steering wheel. 

Fall Out Boy were Louis' favourite band. Scratch that, they were his favourite musicians overall. He had their albums in his car, always listening to them. Even if he was going down to the grocery store, he'd be listening to 'Infinity On High', or going to work, he'd be listening to 'Save Rock And Roll.' It didn't matter where, when or what album, he would always be listening to Fall Out Boy.  
The thing is, he had no idea why. It started as a few songs and then the band grew on him. He wasn't obsessed like some people are, but he wasn't just a fan.

After a while, he was finally at the airport. Louis parked his jet black car in the airport parking lot. Most people would say that would cost a lot, leaving the car there, but Louis got a discount from online. 

He entered gate 'B' with his carry-on bag in hand, and suitcase in tow. 

After waiting, customs, luggage check in and more, Louis' plane was finally boarding. He walked down the long, encased platform that was seemed like it was hovering over the edge of the runway. 

Louis checked the plane ticket that was in his left hand, to see where he was to be seated as he forgot. '26B' the ticket read. 

After he strolled down the plane, toward the back, he found his seat. It was a window seat and had another seat next to it. Louis was just hoping that an annoying five year old, or an old person doesn't sit next to him. Hopefully someone nice and near his age will, if anyone at all.

Louis got settled; his bag in the overhead locker and the complimentary gifts from the airplane staff in the pocket attached to the seat in front of him. He also had a few things from his carry-on in the pocket of the seat in front. 

A few minutes before preparing for take off, a boy with a long mop of brown curls on his head sat next to Louis. 

The boy raised his hand to flick his hair out of his face, elbowing Louis slightly during the process, and then turned to Louis, who was on his left side. 

"Oops, sorry about that." The green eyed boy flashed a charming smile, before pulling his black shoulder bag onto his lap. 

"Hi. Oh, it's alright. It wasn't anything, really." Louis smiled back.

The body that Louis would be sitting next to for the next 10 hours, took a few things out of his bag and put them in the pocket attached to the chair in front. He then stood up, and put his bag in the overhead locker next to Louis'. 

"I'm Harry," The foreign, but now not nameless, boy smiled once again when he sat down. "I thought since we'll be sitting next to each other for around half a day, it would be best to introduce myself." 

"I'm Louis." Louis smiled back. Harry looked around the same age as Louis, 22. He also sounded British, like Louis. 

"Take off will proceed in 2 minutes. Please can everyone turn off their devices, buckle their seat belts, put their trays away, and get ready for take off." 

Neither Louis or Harry needed to do any of that, apart from buckle their seat belts. 

An air hostess walked down their isle, making sure no one had any questions or needed help prior to take off. 

Soon enough, the plane was in the air. It was 6:15 so the sky looked amazing at this hour.  
"So, do you live in L.A?" Louis asked, trying to make conversation with the boy next to him. Also, it was slightly awkward, so Louis hoped to break that tension.

"Yeah, I do. It's really nice," Harry seemed like he didn't mind Louis talking to him. "How about you? Do you live there?" 

Louis nodded in agreement. "Yes, I do."

"How long have you lived there?" Harry asked, genuinely interested. "Well, I mean, you don't sound American so I assume you aren't." 

"First of all, can you promise me that you aren't a murderer, or a stalker, or anything like that?" As much as it seemed like Harry was a good guy, Louis just wanted to make sure. He would prefer not to tell information to someone who could potentially kill him after the flight. 

"Of course, I promise." Harry laughed, and Louis joined in shortly after. 

"Okay, well in that case, I grew up in Doncaster in England and I've been living in L.A for 2 and a half years." 

"Oh yeah," Harry nodded, taking in the information that the small boy had given him. "I grew up in Cheshire, and I've been living in L.A for 5 years now." 

"That's cool," Louis wanted to keep the conversation going, but he didn't know what to say so he asked the first thing that came to his mind. "So, are you single?" 

Harry's eyes widened at Louis' blunt question, and Louis' cheeks flushed red when he realised what he just said. 

"Oh God, I didn't mean it like that. I was just trying to make conversation, sorry." Louis slightly laughed to hide his complete and utter embarrassment. 

"It's fine," Harry laughed with him. "And yeah, I am. How about you? Anyone in your life?"

"Yeah, there is actually. I'm engaged and we're getting married next week in Doncaster," Louis felt as though inside his stomach, a jar of butterflies were opened every time he thought of Zayn. "I'm flying over to surprise him, actually. I can't wait to see the look on his face when he sees me." 

"Aw, that's cute. How long have you guys been together?" Louis thought Harry's reaction could have been different, when he said 'him', but it wasn't and Louis was glad. He wouldn't want to be sat next to a homophobe the whole ride. 

"We've been together for 5 years now. He's my high school sweetheart." Louis gushed over Zayn. 

"That's really something. I dated a few times in high school, but those relationships never worked out." Harry sighed, looking like he was quickly reminiscing about the few relationships he's had.

"Eventually you'll find someone great. And it'll be worth it." Louis smiled at Harry, who was expressionless. 

"Thanks, but back to you and your fiancé, what's he like?" 

"Well, he's incredible and he always makes me laugh. He has the cutest personality and he makes me feel so special. He just has this vibe around him, like you don't wanna be without him. It's..." Louis was at a loss for words. "It's... Hard to explain. I'll show you a picture of him if that's easier?" 

They were in the air now, so it was safe to use their phones. 

"Yeah, okay." Harry nodded once again.

Louis got his phone that was laying in his lap, typed in the password and clicked onto his photos. Under the album "Favourites", the first picture is his favourite. It always will be. Nothing can replace it, no one can replace Zayn. 

He brought up a picture of the boy with raven hair, who was wearing a tank top and shorts on a day they were at the beach. This picture was taken a few months into their relationship. If only they would have known what was to come. 

"Here he is," Louis held up the phone toward Harry, showing him it. "His name's Zayn." 

Harry stared at the photo for a bit longer, not like 5 minutes longer, but around 10 seconds longer. 

"Oh my God. Zayn Malik, right?" Harry flashed Louis a small smile while asking.

"Yeah. Wait, do you know him?" 

"No, I just guessed his name," Harry sarcastically remarked before chuckling. "I used to go to school with him. Primary school, but yeah still school. Also, I'm a photographer so I work in a similar industry as him, and a couple of times I've photographed some of his work." 

Small world, Louis thought, before speaking. "Oh, wow, that's good to know. Were you guys friends?" 

"Best friends." Harry replied, before slightly smirking and spacing out for a few moments. 

"Small world, aye?" Louis spoke his thought from earlier, and Harry hummed in agreement. 

"Me and him had the coolest times as kids. We caused so much trouble back then, is he still a troublemaker?" 

"Most definitely." Louis laughed, as well as Harry. 

The two were getting along like wild fire. They found out they have lots in common. Also, Harry's a year older than Louis. Harry and Zayn both got held back a year, Louis already knew Zayn did, but now he knows Harry did as well. 

Come to think of it, Louis vaguely recalls Zayn talking about a childhood best friend that he always used to make heaps of trouble with. Louis had no idea that he'd ever meet him.

***

"Louis," Harry lightly tapped Louis on the arm. "They're serving dinner soon." Louis had fallen asleep after Harry and him stopped talking for a bit. 

Louis groaned, almost silently, and opened his eyes. "Okay, thank you Harry." 

"It's no problem." Harry smiled as Louis rubbed his eyes. 

"Do you know what options there are?" 

For some reason, Louis always liked airplane food. Most people would disagree with him, but it can be nice. Also, the little pots of chocolate pudding are amazing. 

"Um..." Harry begins, trying to think. "I think there's something chicken and something like beef... Also vegan. I can't remember, sorry." Harry mentioned earlier that he's pretty bad at remembering things, and he apologised if he ever did in advance. 

"That's okay. Well, I'm not vegan or vegetarian so I should be fine." Louis smiled, letting the boy know it was okay that he couldn't remember. 

"Neither." Harry chuckled and they both put the trays, that were attached to the seats in front, down. 

Soon, the air hostesses came down the aisles, pushing a massive cart full of food. 

"What would you like?" A pretty brunette asked Harry. 

"What is there again?" 

"There's chicken pasta, sesame noodles and beef casserole." 

"I'll have the chicken pasta please." Harry smiled, once again. 

The lady took out a tray, from the cart, that had "chkn" written on it. She gave it to Harry and he thanked her.

"And what would you like?" The young lady smiled at Louis. 

"I'll have the chicken pasta too, thanks." 

She got out another tray, and gave it to him. 

Louis took the foil wrapper off the meal and thought it looked nice. There was, obviously, the chicken pasta, a bread roll, a side plate of salad, some utensils, ranch dressing, and a chocolate pudding for desert. 

Louis picked up his fork and started eating the pasta. He thought it tasted okay, for airplane food. Not the best he's had, but not the worst. 

Louis was almost done with his meal, except for the salad because he was full. Harry had finished all his meal, so Louis thought he could offer Harry his. 

"Want my salad?" The boy with blue eyes asked the boy with the green ones. "I'm full, I ate before I got on the plane." 

"Lucky, I haven't had the chance to eat today, before this meal." Harry slightly laughed.

"So?" Louis smiled, gesturing to the salad that was on this tray. 

"Can you promise me you aren't a murder and that you haven't poisoned it?" Harry mocked Louis' similar words from before. 

Louis laughed. "I promise." 

Harry smiled and laughed back, before taking the salad and eating it. 

"Do you like airplane food?" Harry asked Louis, once the air hostesses had been and taken the trays away. 

"Yeah, I do but I don't know why." 

"I find it okay." Harry shrugged. It was obvious he wasn't really fussed. Of course, they weren't the nicest meals, but they were alright for what they were. 

They sat in silence for a while, neither of them doing anything. The drink tray was brought down the aisle, and Louis got orange juice, while Harry got lemonade.

10 minutes had passed, and Louis was looking out the window the whole time, thinking. 

He thought about Zayn's reaction when he surprises him, he thought about their wedding, he thought about the vows he had wrote. Speaking of the vows, he had a copy of them on his phone.  
He took out his black phone, from the pocked on the seat in front, and clicked on to his notes.  
It was titled, "Wedding Vows" and was the second top note he had. The first one was a list of directions to where Zayn would be, and more details like that. 

Louis scrolled through the long note, smiling like a kid in a candy shop. 

Harry peered over his shoulder. "What's that?" 

"It's my wedding vows." Louis smiled at the boy, who seemed interested- not nosy, next to him.  
"Can I read them?" Harry asked, looking up at Louis. 

"Yeah." Louis handed Harry the phone, after scrolling all the way to the top. 

"Zayn, you've always been there for me and I'd like to thank you for that. Thank you so much. You helped me a lot through high school and I can't wait until we can both help each other, in life, wedded. We've been through a lot, us two. Our relationship hasn't always been perfect, but I'm so glad both of us stayed and fought for us. It seems cliché, however it's so true. You're the only one who's actually known the real me. The me with all the secrets, burdens, flaws and troubles, but you've shown me that they, and I, can be loved. You taught me how to forget about what people say, and what people think. That will forever stay with me, and I'll forever thank you for that. With all of this, I promise I'll do the same for you, no matter what you say. I love you unconditionally and I can't wait until we're flying as one plane, instead of two." 

The vows were perfect, Harry thought. He silently wished that he could have that too, one day. 

"The vows are perfect. Aw, it's adorable." Harry complimented Louis' writing. 

"You think? I wasn't sure about them... Not a bit too much?" 

"It's your wedding," Harry let out a couple of laughs. "You're supposed to have a bit too much." Louis playfully shoved Harry in the arm, lightly. It seemed these two had known each other for ages, except when really they'd known each other for nearly 2 hours. 

"Okay." Louis smiled to Harry, and then to himself. 

He put the phone away, with Harry's reassurance that his vows were okay.

"The airplane lights will go off in 2 minutes, to allow people to sleep." An air hostess warned over the intercom. 

Louis made sure he had everything and that he wouldn't need to use the main lights, as they were turning off soon. Of course, he could use the little personal ones, but they don't provide much light. 

Harry turned on his little T.V, on the back of the chair in front, and went through the selection of movies. 

"That's a good one." Louis pointed to 'Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban' and Harry looked at it.

Louis had assumed Harry had already seem all of the Harry Potter movies, because in reality, who hasn't? 

"Can I tell you a secret?" Harry said quietly.

"Sure." 

"I've never seen a Harry Potter movie before, and I've never read any of the books either." Harry's cheeks slightly flushed in embarrassment.

"You haven't?" Louis laughed at the taller boy's statement. 

"No..." The green eyed boy spoke more quietly, the red on his cheeks growing. 

"Well you should watch it," Louis took the remote from Harry. "Start with the first one." He selected Harry Potter And The Philosophers Stone and paused it, so Harry could get out his earphones. 

"Okay, as long as I can choose something for you." Harry leaned over Louis a bit, to turn on his T.V. 

Once it turned on, he told Louis to have his earphones ready and to close his eyes so it would be a surprise. 

Harry selected the movie and put it on pause and made it full screen.

"Open your eyes now." The older of the two instructed.

Louis looked at what Harry had chosen. The Notebook.

"You chose a romance movie? I gave you a movie from one of the greatest series ever, and you give me some film adaptation of a sappy Nicholas Sparks novel?" Louis raised an eyebrow.

He'd never actually seen The Notebook, but his sisters, Lottie and Fizzy, had. They watch it quite a bit, and always talk about it.

"It's not that bad. Don't knock it 'til you try it, as they say." Harry responded, playfully pretending to be hurt by Louis' remarks.

"Fine then, I'll watch it. Have fun losing your Harry Potter virginity."

"What?" Harry laughed, shaking his head, but Louis already had his earphones in.

***

"So, what did you think? Will you be continuing with the rest of the series? What will you rate it on 'Rotten Tomatoes'? Do you wish you hadn't lost your Harry Potter virginity?" Louis asked Harry after both boys had watched their movies.

The Notebook finished about half an hour before The Philosophers Stone, so Louis played on his phone until Harry's movie was over.

"Yes, I'll continue it sometime. I'll give it 4 stars on 'Rotten Tomatoes,' and no, it might have been better than losing my actual virginity."

"Seriously?" Louis commented on the last past of Harry's answers.

"No," Harry laughed. "But, I'm not going to lie. It was surprisingly good. However, losing certain other things are better."

Both Louis and Harry laughed at that, and then Louis spoke. "Well, I'm glad you liked it."

"And how was 'The Notebook'? Did you have enough time afterwards to dry your tears?"

"It was alright. Sappy and cliché, but alright. And no, I didn't cry. Why does everyone cry?" Louis questioned at the end of his small review.

"Because it's sad. Did you sleep through the ending or something?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Surprised I didn't, honestly," Louis rolled his eyes, and Harry lightly swatted his arm. "Kidding, kidding." Louis chuckled.

"What's the time?" Harry questioned a few moments later.

Louis clicked his iPhone home button, and the time appeared. "10:47."

"Might sleep soon. 'M pretty tired." Harry yawned softly.

"Mhmm, same." Louis rubbed his eyes tiredly.

Not long after, both Louis and Harry fell asleep with blankets provided by the airplane over them each, and pillows behind their heads.

***  
The voice over the P.A system jolted Louis awake. "Where am I? What's happening? What time is it?" He suddenly blurted out, startled to say the least.

"Relax," Harry chuckled beside him. "We're just landing in 20 minutes."

"Already? How long have I been asleep? Louis ran a hand through his hair, his gaze on Harry.  
"Um... It's 3:58 right now. So I'd say around 7 hours."

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"You looked like you were in a deep sleep, plus you were pretty tired last night. Thought the extra sleep wouldn't hurt." Harry shrugged lightly, while Louis hummed in response.

Louis grabbed the water bottle sitting in the pouch in front of him, taking a large gulp of it. He needed coffee, but he'd get it once they land.

"I can't wait to to touch down. It might be 4am, but I can't wait to see Zayn's reaction. He'll be so surprised, I can imagine it now. I'm kind of nervous though, I mean, what if something goes wrong? What if he's mad?" Louis thought out loud, a fond look upon his face, but towards the end the look turned into worry.

"I'm sure it'll go perfect. He'll be really happy to see you." Harry reassured Louis, who was significantly less nervous, but there were specks of doubt.

"Thanks," Louis flashed a courteous smile at Harry. "I managed to get information from him a couple of days ago about his current project. He told me where it was, and when he works, while I managed to keep it casual and subtle. He could never have a clue."

Louis found out that Zayn was currently working on a project that required him to be at a studio about an hours drive away from the airport. Zayn usually starts at 7, so Louis would be able to surprise him a little after he started work.

"I'm sure he doesn't. Like you said, you disguised it pretty well. It sounds like regular couple talk."  
"Mhmm, that's what I'm hoping. There's nothing I can do about it anyway. If he had suspicions, I'd be just about to confirm them anyway."

"This is something really cute you're doing for him," Harry put his, big in comparison, hand on Louis' left shoulder. "You'll be amazing partners."

"Thanks. You'll find someone who you can have this with someday." Louis mirrored Harry's act, and put his small hand on Harry's broad right shoulder.

"I hope you're right." Harry said under his breath, a small smile written on his lips, with a underline of, possibly, pain.

"Don't doubt it. I promise you that you will find someone." Harry just nodded at that, both of them removing their arms from each other's shoulders.

"Please make sure that all electronics are turned off, that your trays are folded away, and that everything is stored either in the overhead compartments or the pouches in the chair in front. Buckle your seat belts, as we will be landing in London Heathrow Airport in 10 minutes. If you have any questions, please ask us staff. Thank you." The same voice that woke Louis up earlier spoke through the airplane, followed by soft cheers of the news they would soon be touching down.

Both boys turned their phone off, made sure everything was secure, and got settled in.  
Sooner, rather than later, the plane was landing on the runway. Airplane trips never bother Louis anymore, but they used to when he was a kid.

Once the plane had come to a complete stop, this time the captain's voice was heard over the speaker. "We have successfully landed in London. The crew and I would like to wish everyone a safe, and good trip. This has been Captain Wilson, and the wonderful team at British Airways." 

Louis and Harry gathered their things from in front of them, and in the overhead lockers. They made their way off the plane together.

"Thanks for being someone nice to sit next to. Thank you for your company. And thank you for encouraging me to lose my Harry Potter virginity. It's an experience that will never be forgotten." Harry cheekily smiled at Louis, who was smiling back.

"Thanks for not being an annoying kid who sat next to me. Thank you for your company. But, no thank you for the sappy movie. I'll stick to my action and comedy movies." Harry burst into laughter, and Louis joined him slightly after.

They walked a short distance to customs, but eventually parted ways after a final goodbye. It felt good to Louis that he had actually enjoyed his airplane company with a stranger.

Louis made his way through customs, and proceeded to baggage pick up. Once his bag was collected, he decided to head to one of the cafes.

On his way there, a T.V was playing the news. It was covering a story about a plane that had crashed a few hours ago. Louis watched it for a few seconds. How awful, he thought, but continued his walk to get some breakfast.

Now that he was off the plane, and the airport had free wifi, he turned on his phone as he waited in the line to a small coffee shop he decided to go to.

The line was short, so he made his way to the counter relatively quickly. He's usually a tea type or person, but he ordered coffee, as his body was needing the caffeine.

Louis' order got called up and he picked it up, and sat down in one of the wooden chairs. He ordered a latte. Hopefully, the caffeine will give him the boost he needs.

He grabbed his phone from his pocket, and typed in the passcode. The iPhone 5s in his hands was suddenly bombarded by texts, missed calls, Facebook and Twitter notifications, and emails.  
Shocked, he clicked on his messages icon. The first thread to pop up was his one with Liam.

It simply read;

'I'm so sorry to hear about Zayn. Call me as soon as you get this, I know you'll want to talk. xx'

Louis was confused as ever. What happened to Zayn? His thoughts ran wild, trying to find an explanation, but he just gave up and clicked Liam's contact before pushing the little phone next to his number.

It picked up on the second ring.

"Oh my God, Louis, how are you holding up? It's awful what happened to Zayn. I can't believe. I can't even imagine what you're going through ri-" Louis cut Liam off.

"What happened to Zayn? Is he alright? I just touched down in London, and I was planning to visit him but I can do it earlier though."

There was a silence on the other end of the line, and it only made Louis' heart beat faster and louder.

"Wait, so you haven't heard? And you're in London?" Liam's usually sweet voice turned confused.

"Yeah, I flew over to surprise him."

The silence was present again, but this time it was longer, and made Louis feel worse.

"Oh God. Oh shit," Liam whispered on the other end of the line. "How do I say this?"

"Say it Liam. I'm so confused, I just wish you'd tell me what's going on." Louis desperately wanted to know. He couldn't wait any longer, literally. He felt as though his heart would beat out of his chest in anticipation. His head was out of control, his world was spinning.

"Um, well," Liam stuttered, obviously nervous, before he took a deep breath and continued. "He had the same idea as you. He caught a plane yesterday to surprise you. How ironic."

"Okay, but what else is there? I mean I could just catch a plane back to L.A to see him." Louis was beyond confused. From his obnoxiously beating heart, to his knitted eyebrows, he just wanted to know.

"Yeah, you could catch a plane to try see him. Only, that plane would be a very small one, with rescue officers on board. I'm sorry Louis, but Zayn's plane crashed on his way over to you. It was in the middle of the ocean, so no one survived. I'm so sorry Lou."

And at that moment, Louis' world fell apart completely. His tears unleashed themselves onto his soft cheeks, his head shaking desperately, his lungs tight, his heart completely out of control. He was lightheaded, dizzy. He couldn't believe what he just heard. He couldn't believe that the news story was about Zayn's plane. He couldn't believe Zayn had the same idea as him, but it ended so horrific.

"What, what?" Louis sobbed into the phone. "No, no, no. This can't be happening. We're supposed to be getting married in a few days. I-I just," Louis was cut off by his own gasps. He struggled to find words to describe his emotions at the moment. "I have to go."

"Talk to me later." Liam softly spoke, before Louis hung up.

What. The. Fuck.

What the actual hell on earth is happening? How could this happen to Zayn? How could Zayn be dead right now? How could any of this make sense right now?

He cried. He didn't care what people thought of him, crying with his hands still loosely wrapped around his phone, breaths struggling to escape his trembling lips. His fiancé just died, who cares what he looks like right now?

The salty, warm tears kept pouring out the faucets that had become his eyes in a span of a few short minutes.

"Hey, are you okay?" A familiar voice approached him, slowly. "Why are you crying?"

Louis looked up slightly, his vision impaired by his own tears.

"Oh Gosh, you're a mess." Harry pulled up the chair next to Louis, and set down his luggage.

"Thanks." Louis somehow found a way to sarcastically cough up a six lettered word.

Harry slightly chuckled, before turning completely serious once again.

"What's going on?"

"I-I," Louis looked down at his hands in his lap. He noticed the little wet patches splotched on his shirt, but he didn't care at all. "Um, I don't know how to say it nicely... Except, um..."

"It's alright, just take your time. It'll be okay, I promise." Harry rubbed Louis back, in a manner that reflected his tone - gentle, considerate, comforting, and almost exactly what he need right now.

Louis gathered the tiniest dusting of confidence, and muttered the words. "Zayn had the same idea as me. He was going to surprise me in L.A, but his plane crashed on his way over."

And his tears streamed down almost as hard as when he first found out. It felt weird to say it aloud. It felt wrong to say it aloud.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry Louis. That's awful." Harry rubbed Louis' shaking back even more.

"I, I, I-" Louis tried speaking like before, but everything was completely gone. He couldn't focus on anything, except the fact that his fiance is dead.

"Shh, you don't have to say anything. It's alright, I understand." Louis made himself comfortable in Harry's caring hands, that were still calming him down, and showing that it was alright. Clearly, it wasn't, but Harry was trying to help make the situation better.

They both stayed like that for another 10 minutes - Louis becoming a human version of the Niagara Falls, and Harry being the best comfort the crowded airport could provide.

"I probably look like shit right now." Louis muffled, while sighing. His tears were down to a minimum, but it was obvious they could suddenly pour out again.

"It's okay," Harry slightly moved his arms so he could see the other boy's tear stained face. "You don't look too bad. Plus, no one's gonna really care."

Louis hummed in agreement, and rubbed his eyes on his shirt. Both of them looked at his sleeve and saw the massive dark patch.

"Maybe you could freshen up in the bathroom?" Harry suggested.

"Okay," Louis agreed, before lifting his head up, and turning towards his coffee. He took a small sip, before making a sour face. "It's cold."

The boy with the curls took the paper cup from Louis, got up, and walked over to the bin, which wasn't very far away. Louis watched on in confusion. He just payed $4.00 for that.

"We'll get you another one," Harry enlightened Louis when he returned from his short trip. "But for now, grab your things."

Louis absentmindedly grabbed his suitcase and carry on, and Harry did the same. The smaller of the two followed the taller one, as he knew where there were going.

In no time at all, they reached the bathrooms. They took a few minutes to go toilet, wash their faces, reapply deodorant, Harry even brushed his teeth. (When Louis asked him about it, Harry just smiled and replied with a simple "Hygiene is important.")

"I can't stop thinking about it," Louis frowned, the same pain painted his face. "It's just, I, I... Why? That's the one thing I can't understand. Why? Why now? We were in a really good place, a really happy place, and then this happens. Gosh, I just don't know why this is happening. Sorry for telling you all this shit, I just need to talk, y'know?"

"It's fine, Lou. Talking is the human norm," Harry gave Louis the most sincere smile he could. "And, I have no idea why this happened either. Zayn was a good person, of course that was in fourth grade, but he never meant any harm at all. He was a caring person, behind his rebellious facade. He didn't deserve this. I'm really sorry. I'm sad myself, but you're the one who needs the support."

"I know. Zayn was just... He never meant to... He was just... How do I even begin to describe him?" Louis slightly chuckled, before turning serious again. "He was always there for me, and he was a ball of sunshine. He was the one thing that kept me sane back in high school. Lots of shit went down, and he was always a constant in my life. He was like my very own Rick Astley... He never let me down, he never deserted me... Okay, I think I'm getting incredibly cheesy."

"He really did mean a lot to you, didn't he? I could tell when you first mentioned him. Nice reference, by the way."

"Yeah, he still does. Even though his body is somewhere lost at sea. God, this is all so surreal."

"Let's get you some coffee, and we'll see what the updates are." Harry patted Louis on the back, and then they dragged their bags to the same coffee shop as before. "Latte again?"

"Nah, make it stronger. Espresso?"

Harry ordered 2 large espressos for them both. He didn't bother with food, they only really needed coffee.

Louis sat down in the same seat as before, placing his bags down at his side. Not long after, Harry came back with the drinks. He sat in the seat next to Louis, and placed the hot drink in front of him.

"Thanks." He thanked Harry, before taking a sip.

"It'll be hot." Harry warned, even though it was too late.

"Yeah, no shit," He laughed. "I just need to feel alive right now."

Both of them sat in silence, while they drank their caffeine filled drinks. It didn't feel like silence to Louis, however. His thoughts were racing with pictures of Zayn, memories of Zayn, voices of Zayn, all of Zayn's favourite things, and quirks, and his personality. His thoughts were like the harshest rain, on the softest roof, when you really just need to sleep at 3am. His whole world has crashed when he found out. Zayn was his whole world, he provided a love that Louis didn't even know exist. It was entirely perfect to Louis, some would probably even call it too perfect.

"Do you know who you're gonna stay with?" A deep voice that Louis had grown familiar with in the last 12 hours interrupted his thoughts.

"Um... I'm probably just gonna crash at Zayn's, then maybe fly back or something. I don't know exactly."

"Do you have any friends living here?"

Louis shook his head. "Nah, not any close ones in London. Most of them live in Doncaster, or like us, branched out to California, or somewhere."

"Oh." Harry nodded in response.

"Yeah," Louis took the last gulp of his coffee. "How about you? Who do you usually stay with?"

"Uhh, it's kind of similar to you, actually. Although, I do have a few friends in London, and in Cheshire."

"Did you wanna maybe get breakfast, somewhere that isn't this airport? I just don't really want to be alone if there's updates about Zayn... I mean, I understand if you're busy or whatever, and that's alright."

"Yeah, that'd be nice," Harry flashed Louis a genuine smile. "I didn't really have plans anyway."

"There's a cafe I went to a few times that do a sick French toast. Maybe we could go there?" Louis had been to that cafe a couple times with Zayn. The first time was when they were in London together. They planned to make it a 'get up really early so we can spend the whole day in London, and drive back really late' kind of trip. They got hungry as soon as they arrived, and this cafe was the first place they saw. They came back a few times when they were house-searching, or 'flat-searching', as Zayn liked to refer to it as.

"Sounds good." Harry nodded, and both boys grabbed their bags, and left the now empty cups on the table.

They both walked rather silently to the exit. Louis was still busy with his thoughts. How are you supposed to react after finding out that kind of news? is there a correct way to act? What's he supposed to be thinking? What on earth would it take to replace this pain? Louis knew the answer to that last question.. It was simple; Nothing. Because no one could replace Zayn. Never, ever.

"I'm going to hail a cab, make sure you know the address of that cafe." Harry interrupted his deep thoughts once again, with slight humour in his voice.

Once they were outside and on the pathway near the pick up road, Harry stuck his arm out as a cab approached.

When the car came to a complete stop, Harry opened the door and so Louis and him got in. Louis told the driver the address of the cafe, and in response he nodded, putting the address into his GPS.

The ride was silent. Slightly awkward, but mainly just silent. At least it was silent anywhere but Louis' mind. It was like the new of Zayn was in his blood, and pumping all around him. His mind was lost in a maze where every corner has a memory of Zayn on it. It was hard. Hard to believe that Zayn was gone, completely. Hard to believe that he no longer had a fiancé who he loved dearly. Hard to understand why Zayn was gone. Hard to cope with how unfair it felt.

Louis always believed that everything happens for a reason, but there was not a reason in all of the universe that could explain why Zayn was gone. Why? Just, why?

Why was the only one he's ever loved gone? It didn't make any sense. It was all crazy. It was ridiculous. It was insane.

The only light Louis could make of the current situation is that the last words he said to Zayn were, "I love you." Somehow, that made Louis feel a little better inside. But he would feel completely better if he didn't say last words to him at all.

Soon enough, the cab arrived at their destination. After much arguing, Louis and Harry decided to split the fee. They thanked the driver and walked out.

"So, this is it," Louis gestured towards the modern looking building a little ahead of them. "The Traveler."

"Sounds kinda cliché." Harry chuckled, and kicked a stone out of the way.

"It does," They reached the front of the cafe. A sign read 'The Traveler' in white writing with a black background. It matched the modern exterior of the building, and by a look into the slightly tinted windows, the interior too. "But it is really good. So, it makes up for the cliché-ness."

As soon as they stepped inside, their senses were flourished with the sound of gentle voices, and a slight clashing of plates, with the awakening smell of freshly brewed coffee.

"Do you think we'll be able to get a table?" Harry asked, surveying the customers at the tables.

"If not, we could just bring it back to mine or something. I know they have an 'eat here or take away' option."

"Like McDonald's." The long haired one commented causing both of them to stifle a laugh.

"Mhmm... Bacon and eggs is always a classic," Louis thought out loud when they reached the massive menu on the wall, behind the counter. "But, their French toast is sick."

"I might get one of those acai breakfast bowls. One of the ones with the fruit, and granola."

"You like to eat healthy. What's the bet you have kale in your fridge?"

"Hey," Harry dragged the word out, putting his hands on his hips in a defensive motion. "What did kale ever do to you? Apart from being one of the healthiest foods."

"That didn't really make sense." Louis laughed, teasingly.

"You're being a child," Harry folded his arms at his chest. "Now, do you think I should get the one with bananas and kiwifruit, or the one with strawberries and blueberries?"

"Usually children ask those sorts of questions." The smaller of the two remarked, and in response, he got a dramatic eye roll and sigh from the taller one.

"I'm gonna go with the banana one. What are you getting?"

"French toast, with an egg on the side."

They both ordered their meals, in the takeaway option, as there were no tables available.  
They were just going to go back to Louis' afterwards, and eat it there. Neither of them had plans for later, so it would be alright.

"Order 59." A petite brunette called behind the counter after a while. She put a bag of food on a counter-top that was next to the counter.

As Louis walked up to collect it, a TV screen in the distance caught his eye.

"Rescue crew are desperate to find flight 377, that mysteriously crashed on it's way from London Heathrow Airport, to Los Angeles International Airport," Louis stopped in his tracks, his mouth agape. "An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash. But, until the locate the plane's black box, they won't be able to confirm anything. The families of those on board are desperate to get some answers, pushing the rescue teams to make this their number one priority. They hope to locate the British Airways plane within the next 48 hours. We'll bring you more updates as they happen."

Suddenly, all of the emotions from earlier washed over him, more than likely like the tides, washing over Zayn's lifeless body right now.

He felt as though the news reader had just turned left on a faucet, causing the salty drops down Louis' cheeks. He didn't want to cry in public, but then again, he didn't want Zayn to be dead, and look at what's happened.

"Lou, are you okay?" Harry grabbed his arm gently, voice slightly soothing Louis' shaking back. His green eyes followed the direction of the blue ones next to him, his eyes landing on the screen. "Oh, Gosh no."

"I, I... I just... I," It was obvious he was struggling to find words. "God, I hate this. I'm sorry about this. Crying in public usually isn't my forte."

"It's okay. I understand, and anyone else would as well. This can't be easy at all for you. If anything, you're handling it better than most would."

"Ugh, I just," Louis wiped his eyes with his dainty hand. "I wonder how things would be if..."

"If what?"

"If I told him I was flying over to him. He never really liked surprises. I should've just told him, and then he wouldn't have gone and flown to surprise me. He would still be here, and we would actually be getting married."

"You can't blame yourself for this," Harry grabbed Louis' shoulders lightly, looking his in the eyes. "I won't let you beat yourself up about the 'what if's."

"You sound like you're speaking from experience." Louis remarked, looking back into Harry's emerald green eyes. But before he could reply, someone interrupted.

"Order 59," The same brunette from before called. "Do we have an order 59?"

"I'll get it." Harry offered, before Louis could do anything.

He walked over, took the bag, and thanked the lady.

"Let's get a cab, and we'll eat, and we'll talk, or not talk. We'll watch the news, or we won't. How does that sound?" Harry told Louis, when he came back with the bag.

"Okay." Louis nodded lightly, wiping wet tears from his cheeks.

He took a deep breath, before walking outside with Harry. Could this day get any worse? He thought.

There was a cab just down the road, that was coming in their direction, so when it was close enough Harry hailed it like earlier.

Louis, once again, told the driver his address, when the car stopped, and they hopped in.

This car had the radio on, unlike the last one. It was playing some old song that Louis slightly recognised, but he didn't know it well enough to know the name.

He looked out the window on his right, seeing the usual grey London clouds. Harry was to his left, so he turned a little bit to look at him.

Harry was looking out his window. His sharp jawline, resting on his large left hand that was made into a fist sort of shape. He was staring at the colourless clouds too, maybe lost in his wildest thoughts, or just thinking, casually.

Louis turned away, and looked out his window again. Cars were lining the streets that were rolling past, and he couldn't help but wonder - what if someone else on one of those streets, was going through the same thing right now? What if they, too, had lost someone they loved unconditionally? What if they, too, had someone selfishly taken away from them, and they don't even know why? What if they, too, felt as though their life had fallen apart when they heard the news, and now it's like their walking around in the aftermath?

The thoughts didn't stop. Even when they were 10 minutes away from Louis and Zayn's place. Even when they were 5 minutes away from Louis and Zayn's place. Even when they were on the street of Louis and Zayn's place. Even when the cab stopped at the foot of the driveway at Louis and Zayn's place. Even when Harry paid the cab driver, and they stepped out, walking to the front door of Louis and Zayn's place.

The thoughts did stop, however, when Harry's deep voice asked Louis if he had keys. Which, obviously, Louis did have. And so he unlocked the door, both of them stepping inside.

"It mightn't have been a good idea coming here," Harry noticed Louis' sudden stop in the hallway. "We can go to mine if this is too much for you?"

Louis shook his head. "I'll be alright. I'd have to come here sometime anyway. It's better to do it sooner, rather than later."

The two of the continued down the hall, when they heard a sudden noise.

"Oh, shit." A man's voice was faintly heard, and Louis and Harry looked at each other questioningly.  
They stalked closer to the source of the voice, getting the shock of their lives when a man wearing nothing but a thong, walked out in front of them.

The man had brown haired roots, but blonde haired tips, styled into a semi-quiff. He looked sheepish, and awkward currently.

"What are you doing here?" Louis asked, raising an eyebrow as to why there was a basically naked man in the house.

"Oh, Zayn said I could stay here for a while," The man said, revealing why on earth his was here with an Irish accent. "He was heading to LA or something to meet his fiancé. I didn't want him to go, because we were having so much fun together. His fiancé seems a little... I dunno. But, I guess feel kinda bad for him."

"Why would you feel bad for him?" Harry asked, both boys completely perplexed.

"Oh, 'cause Zayn's cheating on him with me. I mean, I obviously think it's wrong. Like, I'm not sure if Zayn is actually going to follow through with the marriage, but either way it's wrong. However, we both have feelings for each other, and so they cloud our better judgement."

Louis tried to keep it together. He really did. He didn't want to react, or the man would figure it out, and run. He wanted his name. He wanted a reason why. He wanted an explanation. Surely, this is just a joke. Either way, it's too much. This whole day has been too much, and he wasn't even half way through it yet.

"Who are you?" Louis asked the simple question, but it meant so much more. It meant that the asshole who was, judging by what he was wearing, probably fucking his fiancé would have a name. A name that Louis would add to his mental 'List of jerks I hate more than anything.'

"I'm Niall. Niall Horan," Niall stuck his hand out, leaving Harry and Louis once again, confused. "Oh, right, yeah, sorry."

"So, you were Zayn's infidelity?" Louis asked slowly, eyeing Niall in front of him.

"Yeah, pretty much," The stranger nodded, before continuing. "Like, we fuck, but then we do romantic things like dates, kissing, late night talks, Netflix and chill, all that sort of stuff, but he's engaged... Call it what you want, I guess." He shrugged.

"Oh," Was all Louis could say, pain obviously dipped into his word. He felt as though his world was falling apart, for the tenth time today. "Oh."

"Yeah, so who are you?" Niall gestured between them.

Before Harry, who would obviously handle the situation nicely, could speak, Louis spoke up.

"I'm Louis." He announced, a big bitchy smile on his lips.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure Zayn mentioned a Louis a lot... Wait," Niall paused in realisation. "You're close to Zayn's fiancé, aren't you? Oh, please don't tell him."

"Yeah, I am, actually. Only, I am Zayn's fiancé... Or, at least, I was."

"Oh, shit," His mouth fell open. "Hold on, what do you mean by 'was'? Did you two break up? Does that mean he can be all mine now?"

Louis wanted to slap the hell out of the oblivious, basically naked man in front of him. And by the look on Harry's face, he most likely wanted to, too.

Louis was going to answer his question, but instead he just screamed. "Go! Get the fuck out of my house! I don't want to see, or here from you ever again! You got that? You stay away from me, and everyone else in connection, or else you'll be just like Zayn is," Louis turned from full on hulk, to gentle but still bitter. "Dead. Now, fucking scram before I call the police."

"Woah, hold up. Zayn's dead?"

"Yes. Maybe you'd know if you checked your phone, instead of wanking over thoughts of my dead fiancé."

"This is what I meant when I tried to describe what his fiancé seemed like. He seemed uptight, like a stone hard bitch, like he had a whole bunch of problems, and couldn't solve any of them," Niall noticed Louis' spike of panic. "That's right. I know about that. Zayn told me."

"Wipe that fucking look off your dirty face, and get the hell out of here. Literally, get your shit, and leave!" Louis yelled, throwing his hand towards the front door.

He felt tears brewing in his eyes. But, he didn't care. He bet Niall didn't care. He bet Harry didn't care.

Niall didn't judge though, he just stood there. He had a very amused look upon his face. "Very funny. It doesn't phase me too much."

"Look," Harry stepped forward. "This day has already been shit for Louis. Don't make it any worse with your smart-ass behaviour. Now, you have two choices. Leave now, and we'll forget this happened, or keep acting like a child, and we'll contact the authorities."

"What would you call the cops on me for? Dating your fiancé, because you clearly weren't interesting enough?"

"No, actually," Louis took the lead back from Harry. "It would be for trespassing. Since, I clearly wasn't boring enough for him and I to have bought this flat together. Oh, also the one in L.A. And don't forget the house in Doncaster, where we were going to get married, since he did propose to me."

"Okay, okay," Niall held his arms in front of himself. He actually looked kind of threatened. "Don't get your panties in a twist."

Louis rolled his eyes, and Niall turned around to go back into the room he came out of. 

Harry looked at Louis concernedly. Louis was obviously hurting. Finding out your fiancé is dead, and then finding out he was actually cheating on you the whole time wouldn't be a set up for a perfect day. Louis just shrugged at Harry, however. He wasn't going to say anything in front of the person who just caused everything that fell apart earlier, to be set on fire. 

The burden on Louis' problems walked out of the room; a shoulder bag, a beer bottle, and his phone in hand. 

"I'm leaving," He announced, and Louis watched with a bitter scowl across his face. "Maybe you should be a little more chill next time."

"And maybe you shouldn't be such a home-wrecker next time, either." 

"See? You're never gonna get laid again with that attitude." 

"And if you don't get out of here now, I'll make sure you'll never get laid again."

"Are you gonna hit me in the balls so hard that I can't, or was that like a death threat?" The, ironically, blonde one said. 

"Take it however you want it, but just not in here, or anywhere in my sight ever again."

"Okay, bye." He waved sarcastically, before making his way down to the front door.

Louis and Harry followed behind him, making sure he was actually going to leave. He opened the cream white door, and then turned to look back at Louis. 

"You know," Niall observed Louis' testing face. "Keep it up, and you'll be like the next Charlie Sheen."

"Leave." Louis gritted through his teeth. 

When the door shut, and the pain in the ass was gone, Louis leaned against the door, and sighed. 

"Are you okay?" Harry asked, knowing the answer would be a no. 

Louis just gave him an 'are you kidding me' look in response.

"That guy was an asshole." Harry continued.

"Tell me about it," Louis straightened up, and rather quickly walked to the kitchen, in search of something. "Let's just pray to God that he isn't an asshole who drank all of the alcohol." 

Harry giggled, before commenting. "Well, he seemed Irish, and judging by what we saw, it wouldn't surprise me."

Louis opened a cupboard that was next to the fridge. He took out a clear glass bottle. 

"Bingo," He remarked, then grabbed two tiny glasses from another cupboard. "Would you like to do vodka shots, probably get piss drunk, and try forget to about your problems for a little while, with someone you just met like 12 hours ago?" 

Louis opened the bottle, and slowly poured the liquid into each of the glasses. Harry watched for a little while, before answering Louis' question (That, let's be real, Harry wasn't going to pass up).

"I don't see a problem with that." He smiled, and grabbed one of the now filled glasses. 

"Okay," Louis grabbed the other one. "On three. One... Two... Three."

And, exactly on three, both Louis and Harry quickly lifted their glasses up, putting it to their mouths, and swallowing the strong liquor all in one go.

"We should keep them coming."

"Good idea." Harry nodded, putting his now empty glass down.


End file.
